Striking plate of a golf club head and golf club head including the same

ABSTRACT

A golf club head and a striking plate for connecting a shell of a golf club head are provided. The striking plate includes a plate body and at least one rib member. The plate body has a crown-connecting side, a sole-connecting side, a toe-connecting side, a heel-connecting side respectively connecting to a crown, a sole, a toe and a heel, a central portion surrounded by the crown-connecting side, the sole-connecting side, the toe-connecting side and the heel-connecting side, a front striking face, and a rear face. The at least one rib member includes two opposite end portions projecting rearwardly from the rear face, and a bridge portion connected between the two opposite end portions and spaced apart from the rear face.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Invention Patent Application No. 107124610, filed on Jul. 17, 2018.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a striking plate of a golf club head, and more particularly to a striking plate of a golf club head which is formed with a rib member.

BACKGROUND

A golf club utilizes a striking plate to hit a golf ball, and thus the features of the striking plate directly affect the hitting performance of a player. High impact resistance strength and high coefficient of restitution of the striking plate are the key features that are sought by players in order to hit the golf ball easily. However, it is often necessary to greatly reduce the thickness of the striking plate so as to increase the coefficient of restitution. On the other hand, thinning of the striking plate will cause the strength thereof to be diminished. Therefore, balancing the strength of the striking plate and providing a high coefficient of restitution thereof is a long-standing technical problem in the field of golfing that needs to be resolved.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a striking plate of a golf club head that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art. A golf club head including the striking plate is also provided.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a striking plate for connecting a shell of a golf club head, which has a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel, includes a plate body and at least one rib member.

The plate body has a crown-connecting side configured to connect the crown of the shell, a sole-connecting side configured to connect the sole, a toe-connecting side configured to connect the toe, a heel-connecting side configured to connect the heel, a central portion that is surrounded by the crown-connecting side, the sole-connecting side, the toe-connecting side and the heel-connecting side, a front striking face, and a rear face opposite to the front striking face.

The at least one rib member includes two opposite end portions connected to and projecting rearwardly from the rear face, and a bridge portion connected between the two opposite end portions and spaced apart from the rear face. One of the two opposite end portions is proximal to one of the crown-connecting side and the toe-connecting side, and the other one of the two opposite end portions is proximal to one of the sole-connecting side and the heel-connecting side.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a golf club head includes a shell having a sole, a crown, a toe, a heel, and an inner chamber surrounded by the sole, the crown, the toe and the heel, and a striking plate.

The striking plate covers the inner chamber and has a plate body and at least one rib member. The plate body has a crown-connecting side connecting the crown, a sole-connecting side that connects the sole, a toe-connecting side that connects the toe, a heel-connecting side that connects the heel, a central portion that is surrounded by the crown, the sole, the toe-connecting side and the heel-connecting side, a front striking face, and a rear face opposite to the front striking face and facing the inner chamber.

The at least one rib member includes two opposite end portions connected to and projecting rearwardly from the rear face, and a bridge portion connected between the two opposite end portions and spaced apart from the rear face. One of the two opposite end portions is proximal to one of the crown-connecting side and the toe-connecting side, and the other one of the two opposite end portions is proximal to one of the sole-connecting side and the heel-connecting side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment(s) with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentarily cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a striking plate of a golf club head of the present disclosure in a state to be incorporated into a golf club head;

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the first embodiment of the striking plate;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing deformation of the first embodiment of the striking plate upon hitting a golf ball;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views showing two forms of a rib member of the first embodiment of the striking plate;

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a second embodiment of a striking plate of a golf club head of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a third embodiment of a striking plate of a golf club head of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a side view showing a fourth embodiment of a striking plate of a golf club head of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the disclosure is described in greater detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.

FIGS. 1 and 2 refer to a first embodiment of a striking plate 3 of a golf club head 1 of the present disclosure in a state to be incorporated into the golf club head 1. The golf club head 1 includes a shell 2 that has a crown 22, a sole 23, a toe, a heel and an inner chamber 21 surrounded by the sole 23, the crown 22, the toe and the heel. The striking plate 3 covers the inner chamber 21 and includes a plate body 31 and at least one rib member 32. The plate body 31 may be flat-shaped and has a crown-connecting side 312 configured to connect the crown 22, a sole-connecting side 313 configured to connect the sole 23, a toe-connecting side 314 configured to connect the toe, a heel-connecting side 315 configured to connect the heel, a central portion 311 that is surrounded by the crown-connecting side 312, the sole-connecting side 313, the toe-connecting side 314 and the heel-connecting side 315, a front striking face 316, and a rear face 317 opposite to the front striking face 316. The at least one rib member 32 includes two opposite end portions 321 connected to and projecting rearwardly from the rear face 317, and a bridge portion 322 connected between the two opposite end portions 321 and spaced apart from the rear face 317. One of the two opposite end portions 321 is proximal to one of the crown-connecting side 312 and the toe-connecting side 314, and the other one of the two opposite end portions 321 is proximal to one of the sole-connecting side 313 and the heel-connecting side 315.

The plate body 31 has a first width (W1) along a first direction (B) parallel to a line passing through the central portion 311 and connecting between the crown-connecting side 312 and the sole-connecting side 313, and a second width (W2) along a second direction (C) parallel to a line passing through the central portion 311 and connecting between the toe-connecting side 314 and the heel-connecting side 315. The second width (W2) is greater than the first width (W1). The two opposite end portions 321 of the at least one rib member 32 is spaced apart along one of the first and second directions (B, C), and the bridge portion 322 of the at least one rib member 32 extends along one of the first and second directions (B, C). In this embodiment, the bridge portion 322 of the at least one rib member 32 curvedly extends along the first direction (B), and the two opposite end portions 321 is respectively proximal to the crown-connecting side 312 and the sole-connecting portion 313 of the plate body 31.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, when the plate body 31 of the striking plate 3 hits a ball 4, the plate body 31 will be slightly concave toward the inner chamber 21 due to its elasticity (as shown in FIG. 3), and the at least one rib member 32 will concavely deform with the deformation of the plate body 31. Thus, the at least one rib member 32 will accumulate restoring force like a spring, and after that, the plate body 31 and the at least one rib member 32 are restored to original state and then release the restoring force to hit the ball 4. Through arrangement of the at least one rib member 32, the striking plate 3 of this disclosure can effectively absorb an impact and convert the impact into kinetic energy, which is then reflected by hitting energy, thereby enhancing the coefficient of restitution value (COR value, also referred to as reverse coefficient value) of the striking plate 3 and reducing the characteristic time value (CT value) of the impact on the ball 4. At the same time, in addition to generating the aforementioned spring-like effect to increase the COR value of the striking plate 3, the two opposite end portions 321 of the at least one rib member 32 can also provide supporting force to increase the durability and overall strength of the plate body 31 of the striking plate 3. In addition, since the strength of the striking plate 3 can be maintained by the at least one rib member 32, the plate body 31 can be thinned as needed so as to distribute the weight of the striking plate 3 to different parts thereof. In this way, the balance, stability and distance of the hitting can be adjusted through weight configuration, thus significantly enhances the configuration flexibility of the golf club head 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the bridge portion 322 of the at least one rib member 32 is spaced apart from the rear face 317 of the plate body 31 by a maximum distance ranging from 4 mm to 8 mm, preferably by 8 mm. However, the maximum distance is not limited thereto and can be adjusted according to actual size of the plate body 31. In one form, the two opposite end portions 321 may also extend rearwardly and straightly from the rear face 317 of the plate body 31 along a third direction (A) perpendicular to the rear face 317, as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the least one rib member 32 has a cross-sectional area that may gradually decrease from the two opposite end portions 321 toward a middle of the bridge portion 322, as shown in FIG. 5. In addition to the abovementioned forms of the striking plate 3, the length or the curving of the at least one rib member 32 may be adjusted in order to meet different design purposes or to improve the sound performance of the striking plate 3 during hitting, and should not be limited to the aspects disclosed in the first embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6, a second embodiment of the striking plate 3 of the present disclosure is shown to have a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, and differs in that, in the second embodiment, the two opposite end portions 321 of the at least one rib member 32 are spaced apart from each other along the second direction (C), and the bridge portion 322 extends along the second direction (C). In this embodiment, the two opposite end portions 321 are respectively proximal to the toe-connecting side 314 and the heel-connecting side 315 of the plate body 31. By arranging the at least one rib member 32 in the second direction (C) (i.e., the major axial direction of the plate body 31 in this embodiment), the hitting sound can be improved and the number of decibels can be increased so as to create different hitting sounds, and thus increasing the choices for designers and consumers.

Referring to FIG. 7, a third embodiment of the striking plate 3 of the present disclosure is shown to have a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, and differs in that, in the third embodiment, the at least one rib member 32 includes two rib members 32 intersecting each other and extending respectively in the first direction (B) and the second direction (C). One of the two rib members 32 has the bridge portion 322 that extends along the first direction and the two opposite end portions 321 that are respectively proximal to the crown-connecting side 312 and the sole-connecting side 313 of the plate body 31. The other of the two rib members 32 has the bridge portion 322 that extends along the second direction (C) and the two opposite end portions 321 are respectively proximal to the toe-connecting side 314 and the heel-connecting side 315 of the plate body 31. This embodiment further increases the structural strength of the striking plate 3, and the number of the rib members 32 may be more than 2, and is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 8, a fourth embodiment of the striking plate 3 of the present disclosure is shown to have a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, and differs in that, in the fourth embodiment, the plate body 31 is curved, and the at least one rib member 32 in a strip shape extends straightly along the first direction (B). The at least one rib member 32 is spaced apart from the plate body 31 in the third direction (A) through the bending of the plate body 31. The fourth embodiment of the striking plate 3 is applicable when the intended design of the plate body 31 is non-flat shaped, providing designers with another option so as to effectively improve versatility.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 4 to 6, a stress simulation test was performed on nine sets of the golf club heads 1 having different features of the striking plates 3, as shown in Table 1 below. Group 1 is a conventional golf club head which acts a control group that is not provided with the at least one rib member 32 of the present disclosure. Groups 2-1 and 2-2 are two groups of golf club heads having basic features of the first embodiment of the striking plate 3 of this disclosure, such as that shown in FIG. 1, in which the at least one rib member 32 of each group is generally curved and extends along the first direction (B), and has the same cross-sectional area from the two opposite end portions 321 toward the middle of the bridge portion 322. Groups 3-1 and 3-2 are modified forms of the first embodiment of the striking plate 3, and in each of these groups, the length of each of the two opposite end portions 321 extending from the plate body 31 along the third direction (A) is 2 mm, and as shown in FIG. 4, the two opposite end portions 321 extend rearwardly and straightly from the plate body 31. Group 4 is another modified form of the first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional area of the at least one rib member 32 is decreased from the two opposite end portions 321 toward the middle of the bridge portion 322. Groups 5-1 and 5-2 are similar to Groups 2-1 and 2-2, and differ in that, in each of Groups 5-1 and 5-2, the maximum distance of the bridge portion 322 of the at least one rib member 32 from the rear face 317 of the plate body 31 along the third direction (A) is relatively larger than that of other groups. Group 6 has the features of the second embodiment of the striking plate 3 of the present disclosure, such as that shown in FIG. 6, in which the at least one rib member 32 extends in the second direction (C).

TABLE 1 Maximum distance Hitting Direction of Cross-sectional of bridge portion surface rib member area of rib of rib member to stress Group extension member (mm) plate body (mm) (MPa) 1 None None None 786 2-1 First 3 4 808 direction B 2-2 First 5 4 814 direction B 3-1 First 3 (each of the 6 (including the 815 direction B opposite end length of one of the portions 321 is 2) opposite end portions 321) 3-2 First 5 (each of the 6 (including the 810 direction B opposite end length of one of the portions is 2) opposite end portions 321) 4 First Maximum is 5, 4 799 direction B minimum is 3 5-1 First 3 8 822 direction B 5-2 First 5 8 816 direction B 6 Second 5 4 799 direction C

The results in Table 1 show that the golf club heads 1 having the at least one rib member 32 have higher hitting surface stress, indicating better hitting surface stress than that of a conventional golf club head without the at least one rib member 32. While Groups 3-1, 3-2, 6 generate satisfying hitting surface stress, each of the Groups 5-1, 5-2, 2-1 and 2-2 generates a much higher hitting surface stress. Groups 5-1 and 5-2, in which the bridge portion 322 of the at least one rib member 32 is spaced apart from the plate body 31 along the third direction (A) by the maximum distance of 8 mm, and the two opposite end portions 321 extend straightly from the plate body 31, exhibits the best ball-hitting performance of the striking plate 3.

In summary, a high coefficient of restitution value is obtained through the spring-like effect of the at least one rib member 32, while the bridge portion 322 of the at least one rib member 32 provides a high structural strength, and thereby the striking plate 3 of the golf head club 1 of this disclosure simultaneously has a high coefficient of restitution value and a high structural strength, in addition to having practical values and is available in various forms and/or designs.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment(s). It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is (are) considered the exemplary embodiment(s), it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s) but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A striking plate for connecting a shell of a golf club head, which has a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel, said striking plate comprising: a plate body having a crown-connecting side configured to connect said crown of said shell, a sole-connecting side configured to connect said sole, a toe-connecting side configured to connect said toe, a heel-connecting side configured to connect said heel, a central portion that is surrounded by said crown connecting side, said sole-connecting side, said toe-connecting side and said heel-connecting side, a front striking face, and a rear face opposite to said front striking face; and at least one rib member including two opposite end portions connected to and projecting rearwardly from said rear face, and a bridge portion connected between said two opposite end portions and spaced apart from said rear face, one of said two opposite end portions being proximal to one of said crown-connecting side and said toe-connecting side, the other one of said two opposite end portions being proximal to one of said sole-connecting side and said heel-connecting side.
 2. The striking plate of claim 1, wherein said plate body having a first width along a first direction parallel to a line passing through said central portion and connecting between said crown-connecting side and said sole-connection side, and a second width along a second direction parallel to a line passing through said central portion and connecting between said toe-connecting side and said heel-connecting side, the second width being greater than the first width, said two opposite end portions of said at least one rib member being spaced apart along one of the first and second directions, said bridge portion of said at least one rib member extending along one of the first and second directions.
 3. The striking plate of claim 2, wherein said bridge portion extends along the first direction, said two opposite end portions being respectively proximal to said crown-connecting side and said sole-connecting side of said plate body.
 4. The striking plate of claim 2, wherein said bridge portion extends along the second direction, said two opposite end portions being respectively proximal to said toe-connecting side and said heel-connecting side of said plate body.
 5. The striking plate of claim 1, wherein said at least one rib member includes two rib members intersecting each other.
 6. The striking plate of claim 1, wherein said bridge portion of said at least one rib member curvedly extends from one of said two opposite end portions to the other one of said two opposite end portions.
 7. The striking plate of claim 1, wherein said plate body is curved.
 8. The striking plate of claim 1, wherein said two opposite end portions extend rearwardly and straightly from said rear face of said plate body along a third direction perpendicular to said rear face.
 9. The striking plate of claim 1, wherein said bridge portion of said at least one rib member is spaced apart from said rear face of said plate body by a maximum distance ranging from 4 mm to 8 mm.
 10. The striking plate of claim 1, wherein said at least one rib member having a cross-sectional area decreased from said two opposite end portions toward a middle of said bridge portion.
 11. A golf club head, comprising: a shell having a sole, a crown, a toe, a heel, and an inner chamber surrounded by said sole, said crown, said toe and said heel; and a striking plate covering said inner chamber and having a plate body and at least one rib member, said plate body having a crown-connecting side connecting said crown, a sole-connecting side that connects said sole, a toe-connecting side that connects said toe, a heel-connecting side that connects said heel, a central portion that is surrounded by said crown-connecting side, said sole-connecting side, said toe-connecting side and said heel-connecting side, a front striking face, and a rear face opposite to said front striking face and facing said inner chamber, said at least one rib member including two opposite end portions connected to and projecting rearwardly from said rear face, and a bridge portion connected between said two opposite end portions and spaced apart from said rear face, one of said two opposite end portions being proximal to one of said crown-connecting side and said toe-connecting side, the other one of said two opposite end portions being proximal to one of said sole-connecting side and said heel-connecting side.
 12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said plate body having a first width along a first direction parallel to a line passing through said central portion and connecting between said crown-connecting side and said sole-connection side, and a second width along a second direction parallel to a line passing through said central portion and connecting between said toe-connecting side and said heel-connecting side, the second width being greater than the first width, said two opposite end portions of said at least one rib member being spaced apart along one of the first and second directions, said bridge portion of said at least one rib member extending along one of the the first and second directions.
 13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said bridge portion extends along the first direction, said two opposite end portions being respectively proximal to said crown-connecting side and said sole-connecting side of said plate body.
 14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said bridge portion extends along the second direction, said two opposite end portions being respectively proximal to said toe-connecting side and said heel-connecting side of said plate body.
 15. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said at least one rib member includes two rib members intersecting each other.
 16. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said bridge portion of said at least one rib member curvedly extends from one of said two opposite end portions to the other one of said two opposite end portions.
 17. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said plate body is curved.
 18. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said two opposite end portions extend rearwardly and straightly from said rear face of said plate body along a third direction perpendicular to said rear face.
 19. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said bridge portion of said at least one rib member is spaced apart from said rear face of said plate body by a maximum distance ranging from 4 mm to 8 mm.
 20. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said at least one rib member having a cross-sectional area decreased from said two opposite end portions toward a middle of said bridge portion. 